Abstract:

"Although initially created to help libraries determine which journals to include in their catalog, im- pact factors have become one of the most utilized measures of journal ranking and they are in- creasingly used for performance evaluations, tenure, promotion, and research grant decisions. It is also a measure that some editors manipulate and this manuscript questions the legality of that ma- nipulation. Because impact factor manipulation distorts information on journal rankings, and since that information is used to make resource allocation decisions that affect the dispersion of federal funds, that distortion violates the False Statements Act. This deception is widespread; impact factor manipulation has been documented in journals across academia. Moreover, if editors coerce authors to add citations, then they may be putting those authors at legal risk as well. Following our argument that impact factor manipulation is illegal, we propose policy measures aimed at curbing the use of such manipulative strategies."

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